Melissa Hortman, slain Minnesota lawmaker, attended Boston University and Harvard
Melissa Hortman, a Democratic Minnesota state representative who was shot and killed alongside her husband in what Gov. Tim Walz called a politically motivated attack early Saturday morning, was a graduate of Boston University who later went on to study at Harvard University.
A massive manhunt is underway in Minnesota for 57-year-old Vance Luther Boelter, who police say shot and killed Hortman and her husband Mark. Boelter allegedly also shot Minnesota State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette about five miles away. Hoffman and his wife were both injured and subsequently underwent surgery.
Melissa Hortman's Boston ties
Boston University confirmed that Hortman graduated from the College of Arts & Sciences in 1991 with a bachelor of arts in philosophy and political cience.
University president Melissa Gilliam said in a statement to BU Today that the campus community is in shock.
"The entire Boston University community grieves the loss of one of our cherished alumnae, Melissa Hortman, who was a beloved and respected public servant. We send deep condolences to her family, her friends, and to the people of Minnesota on this tragic and saddest of days," Gilliam said.
In 2020, Hortman earned her midcareer masters in public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School at Harvard University. Hortman was featured in an alumni profile that year.
"Melissa was a dedicated and inspiring public servant. This is a devasting loss for the HKS community, and she will be missed by faculty, staff, and so many alumni who studied with her during her time on campus," a Harvard Kennedy School spokesperson told WBZ-TV in a statement following Hortman's death.
The FBI is assisting Minnesota law enforcement in the search for Boelter.
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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The man charged with killing one Minnesota lawmaker and wounding another in what prosecutors have described as a meticulously planned attack, had dozens of apparent targets, including officials in at least three other states. Vance Boelter allegedly made it to the homes of two other legislators on the night of the attacks, but one was on vacation and the suspect left the other house after police arrived, acting U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson said Monday. All of the politicians named in his writing were Democrats, including more than 45 state and federal officials in Minnesota, Thompson said. Elected leaders in Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin said they, too, were mentioned in his writings. Investigators say Boelter appeared to spend months preparing for the shootings — the latest in a string of political attacks across the U.S. In Minnesota, Boelter carried out surveillance missions, took notes on the homes and people he targeted, and disguised himself as a police officer just before the shootings, Thompson said. 'It is no exaggeration to say that his crimes are the stuff of nightmares,' he said. Boelter surrendered to police Sunday night after they found him in the woods near his home after a massive two-day search. He is accused of fatally shooting former Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, in their home early Saturday in the northern Minneapolis suburbs. Authorities say he also shot and wounded Sen. John Hoffman, a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette, who lived a few miles away. Federal prosecutors charged Boelter, 57, with murder and stalking, which could result in a death sentence if convicted. 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Police later found his wife in a car with her children. Officers found two handguns, about $10,000 in cash and passports for the wife and her children, according to the affidavit. Just hours after the shootings Saturday, Boelter bought an electric bike and a Buick sedan from someone he met at a bus stop in Minneapolis, the federal affidavit said. Police found the sedan abandoned on a highway Sunday morning. In the car, officers found a cowboy hat Boelter had been seen wearing in surveillance footage as well as a letter written to the FBI, authorities said. The letter said it was written by 'Dr. Vance Luther Boulter' and he was 'the shooter at large." The car was found in rural Sibley County, where Boelter owned a home. Coordinated attacks on legislators The Hoffmans were attacked first at their home in Champlin. Their adult daughter called 911 to say a masked person had come to the door and shot her parents. Boelter had shown up carrying a flashlight and a 9 mm handgun and wearing a black tactical vest and a 'hyper-realistic' silicone mask, Thompson said. He first knocked and shouted: 'This is police.' At one point, the Hoffmans realized he was wearing a mask and Boelter told them 'this is a robbery.' After Sen. Hoffman tried to push Boelter out the door, Boelter shot him repeatedly and then shot his wife, the prosecutor said. A statement released Sunday by Yvette Hoffman said her husband underwent several surgeries after being hit by nine bullets. After hearing about a lawmaker being shot, officers arrived just in time to see Boelter shoot Mark Hortman through the open door of the home, according to the complaint. They exchanged gunfire with Boelter, who fled into the home before escaping, the complaint said. Melissa Hortman was found dead inside, according to the document. Their dog also was shot and had to be euthanized. Search for motive continues Writings recovered from the fake police vehicle included the names of lawmakers and community leaders, along with abortion rights advocates and information about health care facilities, said two law enforcement officials who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss details of the ongoing investigation. Friends and former colleagues interviewed by the AP describe Boelter as a devout Christian who attended an evangelical church and went to campaign rallies for President Donald Trump. Boelter also is a former political appointee who served on the same state workforce development board as Hoffman, records show, though it was not clear if they knew each other. ___ Durkin Richer reported from Washington and Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio. Associated Press writers Michael Biesecker and Eric Tucker in Washington, John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas, Rio Yamat in Las Vegas and Margery Beck in Omaha, Nebraska, contributed to this report.
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In Minnesota, Boelter carried out surveillance missions, took notes on the homes and people he targeted, and disguised himself as a police officer just before the shootings, Thompson said. 'It is no exaggeration to say that his crimes are the stuff of nightmares,' he said. Boelter surrendered to police Sunday night after they found him in the woods near his home after a massive two-day search. He is accused of fatally shooting former Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, in their home early Saturday in the northern Minneapolis suburbs. Authorities say he also shot and wounded Sen. John Hoffman, a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette, who lived a few miles away. Federal prosecutors charged Boelter, 57, with murder and stalking, which could result in a death sentence if convicted. He already faces state charges, including murder and attempted murder. At a federal court hearing Monday in St. Paul, Boelter said he could not afford an attorney. 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